Have you ever gotten into a discussion with someone about a controversial topic and you ended up not being fully prepared to defend your point of view? You may have had good intentions when you began, but the discussion devolved into an argument or a one-sided attack from the other person, who attempted to make you feel ignorant, foolish, or even bigoted.
If your answer is yes, you are not alone. Many of us have had difficult discussions with loved ones about important topics, but sometimes they just don’t go well. Sometimes we wish we could hit rewind or pause to have more time to think about an appropriate response.
Earl, an evangelical Baptist, called The Patrick Madrid Show for some advice. He explained that he had spoken with his brother-in-law about the topic of abortion. He described his brother-in-law as a well-educated man who had many arguments to defend his position that abortion is a basic human right which ought to be protected.
“I was trying to make the point that God doesn’t want the woman to have the abortion because God, not only does He love the woman, but He loves the baby and it’s a real baby. But he went on and on an on: misogynistic, woman-hater, racism—because people like me who try to stop abortion from happening, that we’re oppressing the inner city people and people of color,” said Earl.
“He had really fancy arguments; he’s smart. He’s smarter than I am but he’s not smarter than you,” Earl told Patrick.
Earl was emotional when he said that his brother-in-law made him look like a fool and acted like everything he said was a joke. “I’m just trying to bring people back to the Lord because I see my country falling apart and I see the world the way it is.”
Patrick gave him some encouragement in Matthew 5:11-12, which says: “Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you [falsely] because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
“Jesus knows that this kind of thing is going to happen and He’s telling you, hang in there, it’s going to be okay and you have a reward in heaven waiting for you,” said Patrick.
He went on to offer some specific responses and tactics to use when Earl finds himself in another situation like the one he described. For Patrick’s advice on defending the pro-life movement and explaining the evil of abortion, listen below.
Tune in to The Patrick Madrid Show weekdays at 8-11am CT only on Relevant Radio®.
